The Search For The Falcon
by FreakofFanfics
Summary: Darth Vader, given orders by the Emperor, begins relentlessly searching for the crew of the Millennium Falcon. Set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Please Read and Review!
1. Land on Naboo

This story is based around the events between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader is on his star destroyer, Executor, searching relentlessly for the crew of the Millennium Falcon, including Luke Skywalker . . .

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The ominous star destroyer loomed over the asteroid field, blasting at several

asteroids that got in its way. The Executor had been searching for the Millennium Falcon for days, and had tracked down the ship to this asteroid field just outside of the planet of Naboo.

Captain Piett stood on the bridge, watching the planet. An Imperial officer walked over to him.

"Sir, Lord Vader wishes to know the latest on the chase."

Piett sighed. They hadn't found the Falcon yet and Piett knew it was unlikely they would catch up to it in several days.

"Very well," he replied. "I will inform him later."

"Or you could just inform me now, Piett." A loud, deep, emotionless voice boomed behind Piett and the Captain turned to see the dark figure of Darth Vader walking up to him, his cloak sweeping behind him.

The Sith lord stopped in front of Piett.

"Well?"

Piett hesitated nervously.

"Erm, well, we've lost the Falcon, my lord, it seems it may have landed on Naboo. Shall I send down stormtroopers?"

Vader paused, thinking.

"Yes," he finally answered. "But I will go down there with them. Captain, prepare my ship."

Piett nodded, and Vader walked away.

A few hours later, a squadron of thirty TIE fighters, led by Vader in his TIE Advanced Starfighter, cut through space, descending towards Naboo.

Theed was a mess. The capital city of Naboo was now nothing more than a burnt out wreck, since the Imperial invasion. The usually beautiful canals were filled with sewage, and the quaint buildings had been scorched and destroyed, now nothing more than hollow shells. Few people now lived in Theed, except lowlife smugglers and bounty hunters and people who didn't want to be found. Like the crew of the Millennium Falcon.

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 had found a hiding place in a seedy hotel in the only Theed district left untouched by the Empire. The Millennium Falcon had barely pulled off a landing. It was hit by an asteroid when flying through and had to land in Naboo. It was risky, as they all knew it was the first place the Empire would look, but there was no where else. The Millennium Falcon had been stored in a hangar not too far away from the hotel where the crew were staying.

The gates of Theed were once high and mighty, guarded by many of the Naboo Royal Guard. However, the Empire had easily broken through it when they invaded, and it was now nothing more than a wreck.

Karos Toora was sitting by the gates, bored. Only a few of the Naboo Royal Guard remained, and he was one of them. He had been assigned to guard the gate. He leant against the wall when he heard footsteps on the other side of the gate.

"Hello?" he called out. Silence. He called out again, but there was no reply. Curious, he walked over to the gate and opened it.

Toora was dead before he even saw the man's face. A blood red lightsaber slashed out, cutting through his chest. He barely had time to register what was happening before he collapsed.

Darth Vader entered Theed. He hadn't been here for a long time. He felt an odd feeling of guilt, before he quickly quelled it. His lightsaber and his eyes blazing, he ran into Theed, his stormtroopers charging behind him.

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Very short, but just to get things going. Hope you liked it, please review! 


	2. Vader's Search

Thanks for all the reviews, they were great! Here's Chapter 2 . . .

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Han Solo walked over to the room balcony and looked out. Nothing. He felt nervous. He didn't know why. He just had a slight feeling of unease, as if something bad was going to happen. He walked back into the room, although his hand was on his blaster pistol.

"What are you so jittery for, Han?" Princess Leia Organa asked him. "The Empire won't find us here."

Chewbacca growled in agreement. Han sat down.

"There's something here, I know it," he replied.

"Move out," Darth Vader told the stormtroopers. "Search in every building you find. If the door is locked, get in, I don't care how you do it. Rip all of Theed apart if that's what it takes, I want that ship."

The stormtroopers nodded, and separated. Darth Vader found himself alone in the square. He sensed something. Strange.

Luke Skywalker was not in the hotel room. He needed to clear his head, and so, he was walking through the deserted Theed streets, not too far from the hotel. He looked around sadly at the destruction, the devastation that had been caused by the Empire when they had first landed on Naboo. It was one of the first planets they had invaded in the Galactic Conquest, and they had overtaken it easily. The Naboo Royal Guard had been overrun with countless Imperial Stormtroopers blasting their way through the planet. The Gungans had raised an army against them, but they had been easily beaten and very nearly wiped out in the process. Now there were very few Gungans left in the Galaxy. Most of them had fled to distant Outer Rim planets such as Tatooine.

Luke walked along a little further until he came to a dead end. Sighing, he turned back.

Meanwhile, the Naboo Royal Guard was putting up little resistance. They had been scattered widely all over Theed, and the stormtroopers were making short work of them, easily blasting their way through the capital city. When they had got through the last one, the stormtrooper commander shouted out.

"Alright men, set your weapons to stun, Vader wants them alive!"

The group ran down the empty street.

Luke was walking back to the hotel when he first heard them. Footsteps. He turned the corner to see, in horror, about five stormtroopers advancing towards him. He quickly pulled out his blue lightsaber, given to him by Obi-Wan, and raised it confidently. The troopers saw him.

"He's one of them. Alright men, set for stun."

They shot several blasts at him, but he deflected them with his lightsaber. One ran up to him, still shooting, but Luke dodged the blasts and swung his lightsaber at his waist, cutting through the trooper. Two ran up to him, he cut one down, but the other raised his gun.

"Freeze!"

Luke saw that it was hopeless. Three of them remained, and they were all pointing their guns in his direction. Unless . . .

He suddenly had an idea. An old piece of piping was hanging loosely off the wall just a few feet behind the stormtroopers. He just might be able to do it.

Summoning up all his strength, he commanded the pipe, he willed it . . .

And it did. Under the control of the Force, the pipe swung through the air, knocking down two of the stormtroopers. They fell to the floor as the third one fired several shots at Luke. Luke deflected these easily, and stabbed his lightsaber through the trooper's chest.

The clone fell to the floor as the other two stood up. But Luke was ready. Dodging and deflecting their shots, he jumped towards one, tabbed him and, at the same time, lashed out with his foot, knocking the other one to the floor. He fell back against the wall, unconscious.

Luke put his lightsaber back in his belt and started to run back to the hotel. The Empire was here, and the others needed to know.

As he turned the corner, he hesitated. A shiver went down his spine. He unsheathed his lightsaber. Something was behind him.

He spun round, and nearly shouted out loud with surprise. His lightsaber had clashed with another lightsaber.

Darth Vader stood in front of him.

"We meet at last, Skywalker," he hissed.

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Another short one, I know, but I think the next one should be longer. Hope you like it again, please review! 


	3. The First Duel

Thanks for the reviews. Electric amish – thanks for saying I was accurate, I'm trying to keep it accurate and keep it in line with what happened in A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. Here's Chapter 3.

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Luke knew Vader was powerful, but he didn't know how powerful until that moment. He could feel the raw, surging energy and anger from the man, the machine, an anger which made him unstoppable.

Luke kept trying to block Vader's strong swings with his blue lightsaber, but Vader was edging him back, further and further. Luke swung his lightsaber, but the Dark Lord easily dodged this and thrust his lightsaber forward, narrowly missing Luke. Vader than brought his lightsaber down. Luke blocked again, but the swing was so strong he nearly fell back into the wall.

"You are strong with the Force, Skywalker," Vader said menacingly. "But you are no match for my powers. Only your hatred can destroy me."

But he had been overconfident. Luke pressed forward with his lightsaber, pushing Vader back. Vader smashed down with his lightsaber, nearly cutting Luke in half. However Luke parried this and jumped forward and slashed at the Sith lord. Vader just dodged a fatal injury but the lightsaber cut his right shoulder. Vader yelled out in pain, and then started slashing viciously at Luke in a blind rage. Luke kept jumping back and dodging each swing, but soon he was up against the wall. Vader quickly swung upwards, cutting Luke's lightsaber in half. Luke fell against the wall, and Vader lowered his red lightsaber until it was at Luke's throat.

"You will not escape me, Skywalker. Soon you, and your friends, will be dead."

Meanwhile, Han Solo walked out onto the balcony and looked out again. C-3PO stood in a corner. His friend, R2 D2 whistled and beeped. Leia was getting impatient.

"There's nothing there, Han!" she exclaimed.

"Luke hasn't come back yet," Han replied, still looking out. Chewbacca growled softly.

Suddenly, a huge explosion across the street threw Han back into the room. R2 toppled over as several red blasts shot into the room, missing Han by inches. Chewbacca roared and picked up his gun, a Wookiee bowcaster. Han drew out his blaster pistol. C-3PO shouted out as a blast narrowly missed him.

"Stormtroopers," Han muttered.

"Come on!" Leia yelled, as more blasts shattered the windows. Han looked out at the street to see a group of about twenty stormtroopers aiming at the room from the street.

Han quickly shot one in the head, as did Chewbacca. However, several more blasts came from the street. Han looked down at them to see three thermal detonators flying towards them.

"Bombs!" he yelled, as the detonators came through the window. Han and Chewbacca dived as the explosion ripped half of the room away. The two beds were thrown out of the room, and debris and rubble littered the street below them. The group ran out of the room and down the stairs. They made their way towards the back door when about a ton of rubble came hurtling down, blocking their path, filling the corridor with dust.

"We have to go out the front door!" Han shouted.

"Are you crazy?" Leia yelled back. "All those stormtroopers are there!"

Suddenly, they went quiet as the building creaked on its foundations. Han realised, with horror, that the whole hotel was about to collapse. They would all be crushed, or they would suffocate. Han turned to Leia, and smiled grimly.

"I don't think we have much of a choice, your highness," he whispered. He turned and ran down the corridor, shouting at the others to follow him. Chewbacca came up behind him, and Leia and the droids followed. Han jumped out of the front door, blasting at the stormtroopers standing in front of him, killing three of them. Chewbacca came out next, blasting four stormtroopers. Han dodged several shots, hitting another trooper as Leia and the droids emerged from the hotel, which was burning. Five stormtroopers remained.

"Retreat!" the leader yelled, and they started to run away.

"Chewie, get them!" Han shouted, as he blasted one of them. Chewbacca roared and took down two more. Han ran forward and shot a trooper, leaving only the leader left. Han raised his blaster pistol and pointed at the stormtrooper.

"Don't move!" he yelled. The stormtrooper turned around as the rest ran up, Chewbacca pointing his gun in the trooper's direction.

"What are you doing here? Who led you here?" Han demanded.

"Vader led us here, there's only about thirty of us, but there will be more. You rebel scum will soon be dead," the trooper said. Han swiftly shot him in the head, and then turned to Chewbacca, Leia, and the droids.

"Leia, you and the droids go to the Falcon, start her up. Me and Chewie will try and find Luke."

Leia nodded, and she, C-3PO and R2-D2 walked over to the hangar. Han turned to Chewbacca.

"Let's go, Chewie."

Darth Vader stood, his lightsaber at Luke's throat.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well, Skywalker. But you will not escape me."

The Sith lord paused for a moment.

"Obi-Wan never told you, did he?"

"What?" Luke said fiercely. "He told me you killed my father."

Vader paused again, his lightsaber still at Luke's throat. He was about to speak again but suddenly he turned round. Luke turned as well to see Han and Chewbacca standing a few metres away from Vader, their guns raised.

Vader raised his lightsaber. Chewbacca and Han shot several blasts at him. He deflected them easily, then ran forward. Han kept blasting at Vader. However, the dark lord deflected these shots again, and swung his lightsaber at Han. The smuggler dived underneath the swing and ran over to Luke.

"Let's go, kid!"

Luke stood up and started to run away but found himself face to face with Vader. The Sith warrior raised his lightsaber and was about to bring it down when Chewbacca shot him in the back. Vader was blasted forward, but his armour prevented most of the damage. He jumped up to see Han, Chewbacca and Luke running away. He didn't chase them. He put his lightsaber back and walked through the gates back to his TIE fighter.

He would catch them on the Executor.

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Okay, still not a very long chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed that! Please review! 


	4. Escape from Naboo

Thanks to French-charlotte and jamy skywalker for reviewing. Here's Chapter 4 . . .

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Han Solo and Chewbacca ran into the hangar and up the landing steps of the Millennium Falcon. 

"Quick, let's get out of here!" he yelled.

Princess Leia quickly started up the engines as Han took his seat at the front of the cockpit. Chewbacca sat next to him, and Luke and Leia took the seats behind them. C-3PO and R2-D2 were both in the lounge area at the back of the ship.

Han pressed several buttons, and glimpsed several stormtroopers entering the hangar.

"Stormtroopers! Okay, Chewie, let's go. Hit it!"

Chewbacca pulled down a lever and the Millennium Falcon started hovering in the air. The band of stormtroopers started shooting blasts at the ship, but they were ineffective against the armour. Han quickly pulled another lever and the ship jetted into hyperspace and hurtled through the clouds away from the planet.

Darth Vader manoeuvred his TIE fighter and landed it in the main hangar of his super star destroyer, the Executor, which was now orbiting Naboo. The landing steps lowered, and Vader walked down to meet Captain Piett.

"Lord Vader, good to see you."

"You may spare the pleasantries, Piett. Have you found the Falcon?" he asked emotionlessly.

"No sir, we are trying -"

"Trying isn't good enough Piett. Don't fail me again. Get back up to the bridge and blast the damned ship out of the sky," Vader ordered fiercely.

"Yes my lord," Piett replied, and hurried off. Vader followed him.

The Millennium Falcon sped through the darkness of space. Han spotted a red light flashing.

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"Something behind us. And it's big. Chewie, try and see what it is," Han muttered. Chewbacca barked, and looked at the radar screen, and then growled.

"Imperial Super Star Destroyer," Han murmured. Luke heard Leia gasp next to him.

Meanwhile, Captain Piett walked over to Vader.

"Lord Vader, we have them on our target screens."

"Good," Vader muttered. "Fire at them once. Take down their shields, and then turn on the tractor beam."

"Yes, my lord."

Piett saluted, and then walked back over to a control panel. Vader turned and looked out of the window at the Falcon.

The Millennium Falcon shot through the air, the engines going faster than they ever had before, straining under the pressure.

"If you keep going this fast, we'll have a burnout!" Leia yelled. "When are you going to jump to lightspeed?"

"In a minute, your worship!" Han shouted back sarcastically. Suddenly, a huge laser blast rocketed the ship.

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"The Star Destroyer, kid! We're gonna get pulverized!"

Suddenly, Han turned the ship around and faced the Imperial Super Star Destroyer head on.

"What are you doing?" Leia screamed. "You're not actually going to take on a Super Star Destroyer?"

"It's the last thing they'll be expecting, isn't it? Plus, if we're gonna be blown up, I want to kill a couple of them first!"

Suddenly, C-3PO arrived in the cockpit.

"But sir, the chances of surviving a direct attack on the Executor in a hip of this small size is seven hundred and sixty-five thousand to one!" he panicked.

"Luke, shut down the professor over here! We'll be fine!"

The Falcon charged at the looming ship, firing madly at it, throwing accuracy out the window.

Countless laser bolts hit the hull of the Executor, barely penetrating the thick armour of the massive ship.

Captain Piett walked over to Darth Vader.

"Sir, they have moved into attack position and are blasting our hull. Shall we fire?"

"I've already told you to, haven't I, Piett? Destroy that damned ship now!"

The Executor let loose five or six laser bolts. The speedy Millennium Falcon managed to dodge the blasts, but it was close. A blast very nearly hit the main engine.

"This is suicide!" Leia shouted again, as Han expertly weaved in and out of the laser bolts being flung at them. Han ignored her, but she was proved right as a blast struck them.

The Falcon kept going for a few seconds – but then the engines exploded. Debris was thrown out of the ship, as it completely stopped. Chewbacca roared in frustration, and, although he would never admit it – fear.

On the Executor, Vader walked over to Piett.

"We've immobilised the Falcon, my lord. Shall I start the tractor beam?"

"Yes. Once the Falcon is on the ship, capture its crew. Bring Luke Skywalker to me. Kill the others," he ordered mercilessly.

"What are we going to do?" Leia demanded. "The Executor has a tractor beam, and they'll turn it on any second!"

"We're not out of this yet, your highness!" Han said urgently. "Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."

Chewbacca pressed several buttons, and grunted. They heard the Falcon's engines roar back to life. Han quickly pulled a lever, and the ship blasted into hyperspace.

Piett gulped when he saw what had happened. He felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, as if he was about to throw up. He turned to see Darth Vader approaching him, and he felt worse.

"What's happened?" Vader asked coldly.

"My lord, the Falcon . . . escaped."

Vader was silent. Suddenly, Piett felt as if an invisible hand was gripped round his throat, and he fell to the floor, gasping, struggling for breath.

Vader watched him silently as he Force – choked Piett. Suddenly, he let go.

Piett suddenly felt the air rushing into his lungs, and started gasping.

"You are fortunate I've decided to spare your life, Piett. Get your miserable face out of my sight," Vader hissed. "You are dismissed. Admiral Ozzel will take over from here. I told you I will not tolerate failure."

Darth Vader walked away, his black cloak billowing behind him as Piett sat on the floor, still gasping.

The Millennium Falcon sped through space, desperately trying to get as far away as possible from the Executor.

"Our auxiliary power's failing," Han said grimly. "Won't last long. We'll have to land somewhere. Chewie, see what you can find."

Chewbacca growled, and began examining the radar screen in front of him.

Luke sighed, stood up, and walked out of the slightly cramped cockpit.

Chewbacca turned to Han and grunted.

"Found something!" Han said triumphantly. "What is it, Chewie?"

He examined the radar screen.

"Arbra. Never heard of it. Not much technology. Looks like a pretty small planet. Probably the last place the Empire would look. Well done, Chewie."

Chewbacca grunted again, and the Millennium Falcon blasted off into space, heading for Arbra.

Darth Vader strolled down the bridge of the Executor, watching the huge radar screen in front of him, and the small red dot that was the Millennium Falcon.

Admiral Ozzel walked over to Vader.

"My lord, the Emperor wishes to know the latest."

Vader turned round.

"Very well, Admiral," he said emotionlessly. "You are in charge."

Vader walked off the bridge into a large room leading off it. A life-sized hologram came up in front of Vader. It was Emperor Palpatine. Vader bowed.

"Greetings, my master," he spoke.

"Greetings, Lord Vader. What has happened in Naboo?"

The Emperor had no expression in his voice, no emotion for the planet he used to be Senator of, the planet he had now ripped apart. Vader hesitated before answering. He was never frightened, nor nervous, but he always felt slightly uneasy around the Emperor, even though he would never admit it himself.

"The Falcon, and her crew, unfortunately escaped, my master."

The Emperor paused as his cruel, calculating brain thought.

"Track the Falcon. See where it lands. Send down an entire legion of stormtroopers. Send down several AT-ST walkers, and travel down yourself. They could stop at a Rebel base, so we need as many troops as we can get. Destroy them. Obliterate the base, if there is one."

He stopped.

"But bring me Skywalker."

Vader bowed.

"Yes, my master," he whispered, and left the room as the hologram disappeared.

Admiral Ozzel walked over to him.

"My lord, the Falcon appears to have stopped at a nearby planet. Arbra. Shall I send down the troopers?"

Vader paused, thinking.

"My lord?" Ozzel asked after a few seconds.

Vader turned to Ozzel.

"Yes," he ordered. "Get them."

The Executor blasted into space, following the Falcon.

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Told you I'd try and make it a bit longer! Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review, I won't bite! 


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